The Ballad of Odo the Hero
by Christine Malec
Summary: This is an account of a wizard so confusing, he barely understood himself. And yet, so noble and great were his deeds, that the Hogwarts Four vowed to carry him home in honor, a choice whose import would be felt by witches and wizards for 10 centuries.


Odo the hero, they bore him back home

To the place that he'd known as a lad.

They laid him to rest with his hat inside out,

And his wand snapped in two which was sad.

Some call him Odo the early,

And some call him Odo the late.

It's undoubtedly true he was often confused,

But his deeds they were noble and great.

Some name him born on a Wednesday,

For he had his measure of woe.

No he was born on a Thursday some say,

For he'd always a long way to go.

Odo's tale is a strange one,

And it may be that both days are right.

For his mother had congress with a time turner jewel,

Which some have said wasn't too bright.

But she was a witch of great power;

To her cunning all folk would attest,

From when Odo was made till the days he was born,

That time turner lay on her breast.

That jewel did queer things to Odo,

Made him both early and late.

Made time the snake that coils round on itself,

Not an arrow flying forward and straight.

For when Odo did look at a person,

He saw them both infant and old.

Of the chaos that reigned in Odo's brain,

Little can truly be told.

He'd see both a creek and a river,

See a flower both withered and new.

All times were one for poor Odo you see,

Made him quite daft, it's true.

But Odo was Friday's child too,

For loving and giving was he,

His mind was fraught, but he ever sought

To save folk from what they could not see.

His motives they were the purest,

To save folk from arrow and blade,

But his judgment was blurred by the voices he heard,

That from sooner or later came.

Odo the hero, they bore him back home

To the place that he'd known as a lad.

They laid him to rest with his hat inside out,

And his wand snapped in two which was sad.

When William the Norman was casting his eye,

On England's coveted shore

Odo he found himself far in the south,

Though why, he wasn't quite sure.

He happened upon Mistress Helga one morn,

Destined 1 of the Hogwarts 4,

And he laughed with delight and flapped mad with his hat

For they were fast friends of yore.

And one day as they sought herbs in the wood,

Odo was stricken fell sore,

For they had stealed upon Hastings field,

And Odo knew peace no more.

He saw the carnage to come at that place

That to others looked peaceful and green

He didn't know when would come the fell blow,

But shuddered at what he had seen.

"Helga" he said "you must help me my friend,

To save any lives that I may.

My will is strong, but I'm often wrong,

Pray give me your help on that day."

Helga she thought, and Helga she schemed,

Gleaned herbs from field and from glen.

Felix Philicis, liquid luck

Helga brewed up for her friend.

And on that fell day, as battle was joined,

Odo that potion he drank.

Like a feather he moved through that field of death

And he saved folk with no thought of rank.

He saved all he could, regardless of side,

Norman and Saxon and Dane,

Noble and freeman, cotter and bowman,

He saved them from arrow and blade.

For the first time, he saw things aright,

Time as a tapestry fair.

The layers of time were clear in his mind,

And he knew when to be, and where.

He saw the arrow before it was loosed,

The ax before it could fall,

Many owed Odo their lives that day

Though he tried, he could not save them all.

As the day waned, and the battle decided,

Fair Helga came onto the field,

With potion and wand to heal whom she could,

And by the dying to kneel.

A stray arrow it was, that Odo saw first,

Toward Mistress Helga it flew,

Too far to save her, he moved in its way,

And the arrow it peer said him through.

Helga she grieved with full many that day,

And also her comrades were sad.

And they vowed over ale cup to carry him home

To the place that he'd known as a lad.

Odo the hero, they bore him back home

To the place that he'd known as a lad.

They laid him to rest with his hat inside out,

And his wand snapped in two which was sad.


End file.
